Palette and pigment holder



c. R. DRIPPS 2,711,605

PALETTE AND PIGMENT HOLDER June 28, 1955 Filed March 20, 1953 INVEN TOR.

CLAQA B. DQ/p s,

A TTOENEY;

United States, Patent PALETTE AND PIGMENT HOLDER Clara Reincke Dripps, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Application March 20, 1953, Serial No. 343,720

1 Claim. (Cl. 41-5) This invention relates to artists supplies, and particularly to a palette.

Palettes, generally, although a great convenience to the artist, are subject to several objections. One objection is that, for a reasonably sized palette, the area for mixing pigments is quite restricted. Furthermore, cleaning of a palette in order to restore its usefulness is cumbersome and time consuming.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a palette that, without requiring cleaning, can be used for a great many more mixing operations than was heretofore possible. For this purpose, a pad of impermeable layers of material is provided so that, in order that clean mixing areas can be provided, the used top sheet is simply removed, all without requiring a tedious cleaning operation. In practice, moisture resistant cellophane has been found quite satisfactory for this purpose, both for oils and water colors. Other materials could be used, however.

It is another object of this invention to provide a palette of this character to which a pigment holder may be conveniently detachably secured for facilitating cleaning. An 1 exceptionally useful combination palette and pigment holder is thus provided.

It is another object of this invention to provide a devic of this character. that is readily cleaned, greatly increasing efiiciency for the user.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. The form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a palette incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus, some of the parts being broken away and illustrated in section; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary enlarged sectional views taken along the planes indicated by lines 33 and 44 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, respectively.

In Fig. 1, a palette base is shown that may be of any desired configuration. One corner of the palette has an edge 11 shaped so as to conform to the configuration of the hand of the user, and an aperture 12 is provided to accommodate a digit of the hand of the user so that the palette base 10 may be conveniently grasped.

The palette 10 of plastic material, or the like, is adapted to carry a pad 13 (Fig. 2), comprised of similar layers of impermeable material, to be hereinafter more fully described. The pad 13 is so formed that it conforms generally to the configuration of the palette. However, it is not essential that the pad be provided with an aperture conforming to the aperture 12, since the digit may engage the palette 10 beneath the pad 13.

In order that the palette 10 properly secure the pad 13 against movement therefrom, a plurality of lugs 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and are provided around the side edges 21 and 22 of the palette 10, as well as along the lower edge 23. These lugs 14 through 20 extend upwardly of the base of the palette base 10, and may be integrally formed therewith.

Each layer of the pad 13 is provided with notches 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and adapted to receive the lugs respectively. Accordingly, by the interengagement of the lugs 14 through 20 with the recess or notches in each layer of the pad, the pad is properly located in exact juxtaposed relationship with the palette 10. The lugs prevent relative lateral movement between the pad 13 and the palette 10, but the pad 13 may be moved transversely of the palette 10 for proper placement or removal thereof.

Accommodated on the topmost area of the pallette 10 is a pigment receptacle holder 31 of plastic, or the like. This holder 31 is of elongate form and corresponds in length substantially to the width of the palette between the lateral edges 21 and 22. The holder 31 is so formed as to provide a series of rectangular recesses 32 into which pigmet receptacles 33 may be received. The pigment receptacles 33 are provided with peripheral flanges 34 overlying the top edges adjacent the recesses 32 (see Figs. 3 and 4).

The end walls 35 of the holder 31 are each provided with inturned flanges 36 extending beneath the bottom wall 37 of the container proper. Each flange 36 and the opposed portion of the bottom wall 37 define a slot 38 in which a side of the palette 10 contiguous with the edges 21 or 22 may be received. Accordingly, the pigment holder 31 thereby is detachably secured to the upper surface of the palette 10 by relative sliding movement in the directions indicated by the arrows 39 in Figs. 2 and 4. To permit the pigment holder 31 to be so mounted and to provide stops for the holder 31, the topmost lugs 14 and 20 are spaced from the top edge 40 of the palette in an amount corresponding to the width of the pigment holder 31. Likewise, the topmost edge 41 of the pad 13 (Fig. 4) terminates short of the topmost edge 40 of the palette.

A cover 42 of plastic, or the like, for the holder 31 is provided for protecting the pigments 43 from contamination when not in use. Downwardly extending flanges 44 of the cover 42 slant inwardly toward the center of the cover 42 and are accommodated in recessed portions 45 in the ends 35 of the container holder 31. The cover 42 is thus detachably secured to the holder 31 by relative sliding movement in the direction of the arrows 39.

In use, the cover 42 is removed, and two or more pigments 43 may be mixed together, and with aid of a solvent, if desired, upon the topmost layer 46 of the pad 13. The layers of the pad 13 may be cellophane, or the like, that is impermeable and unaffected by moisture. Accordingly, the layer 47, immediately beneath the topmost layer 46, and all other layers are in nowise affected by the use of the topmost layer 46.

When the topmost layer 46 is used to the extent possible, or as otherwise desired, or when the particular color mixture is no longer used, the topmost layer 46 is removed simply by tearing it from the pad. The successive clean layer 47 is then positioned to be used in a manner similar to that described in connection with the layer 46. As the pad is exhausted, a new pad may be placed upon the palette 10. When the pigments 43 are not in use, the cover 42 is secured over the holder 31, as heretofore described.

The particular construction facilitates any cleaning operations that may be required in connection with the holder 31 of the pigment holders 33. By simply detaching the pigment holder 31 bodily from the palette 10, it

can be cleaned without in any manner interfering with the palette 10 and pad 13. The palette base 10 can likewise be cleaned.

A compact combination novel palette and pigment holder and cover therefor is thus provided that is of exceptional utility for artists.

The inventor claims:

in an artists palette: 'a palette base having substantially parallel side edges; an elongate pigment holder having ends each provided with an inwardly directed flange extending beneaththe holder, and defining a space receiving the respective side edges of the base, said holder being removable from said base upon relative movement therebetween in a direction substantially parallel to said edges;

a plurality of projections spaced along said side edges, the topmost projections of the respective edges forming abutments limiting movement of the holder into assembled relationship With said palette base; and a pad comprising a plurality of layers of impermeable material on the base, and having recesses accommodating said projections for detachably mounting said pad on said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 506,160 Connolly Oct. 3, 1893 852,871 Cohn May 7, 1907 2,170,709 CutrOW Aug. 22, 1939 

